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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25174084">Pure Souls</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Love_of_fandoms/pseuds/Love_of_fandoms'>Love_of_fandoms</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I Will Follow You Into the Dark [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angel Wings, Animagus, BAMF OFC, Cute, Dreams and Nightmares, Eventual Smut, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Getting to Know Each Other, I'm Sorry, Magic, Multi, No Beta We Die Like Dobby, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Percy Weasley Redemption, Polyamory, Rating May Change, Redemption, Reunions, Romance, Slow Burn, Wings, ish, seriously, the grimm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:28:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,004</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25174084</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Love_of_fandoms/pseuds/Love_of_fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A young Seraph named Beth is attending her seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry while Harry Potter is attending his third. Though she is 17 years old, seraphim mature faster and she is really physically and mentally equivalent to a 24 year old human. Anyways, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor is really nice, and there’s this black dog that’s following her around...</p><p>This is a polyamorous (eventually) pairing between Sirius Black, Beth (OC), and Remus Lupin. No underage! Beth is an adult in her race/culture.<br/>ALSO: I DO NOT AGREE WITH OR SUPPORT JK ROWLING WITH WHAT SHE HAS SAID ABOUT TRANS PEOPLE! I LOVE THE BOOKS BUT I AINT INTO THE AUTHOR ANYMORE Y'ALL</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Remus Lupin/Original Character(s), Remus Lupin/Original Female Character(s), Sirius Black/Original Character(s), Sirius Black/Original Female Character(s), Sirius Black/Remus Lupin/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I Will Follow You Into the Dark [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823716</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>71</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Beth found herself panting heavily as she landed, her wings slumping in relief to be out of the air as she stumbled a couple of steps. Her brows pinched in aggravation when she heard Nico laughing behind her. She felt a soft breeze that ruffled her baggy harem pants as he landed much more gracefully next to her, his much larger wings causing dust to swirl around them both.</p><p>“Stop laughing,” she whined, still trying to catch her breath, and Nico hummed in fake sympathy, placing a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“You’re the one who wanted to fly to Montréal,” he reminded her, and Beth groaned as she rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Yeah,” she agreed. “But I haven’t gotten to really fly since I left for school,”</p><p><em> School </em>. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Most seraphim like Beth and Nico chose not to go to wizarding school, especially American ones, despite being naturally born with the ability to perform spells and magic, since Ilvermorny refused to accept them. Seraphim had to apply in European schools usually, or there were a couple in Asia that accepted them, though their acceptance rate was extremely low. </p><p>Beth had just returned from attending her sixth year of Hogwarts six days before her and Nico’s flight to Montréal and back to their tribe’s hidden village in upstate New York. She had earned almost all of her credits to graduate the school, having skipped a couple of levels in divination and charms allowing for more room in her schedule, and she only needed a final required defense against the dark arts class, so in the coming fall she would really be attending Hogwarts as a teacher’s assistant, completing her seventh year as more of a formality than a necessity.</p><p>“Excuses, excuses,” Nico tutted, his auburn wings ruffling as he antagonized her. Beth just rolled her eyes and began to walk towards her home, a small cottage near the center of the village. </p><p>“Fuck you, Nicomill,” Beth spat, using his full name, and Nico cringed at the sound.</p><p>“Ooh, full name,” he teased with a smirk, throwing an arm around her shoulders which Beth was quick to shrug out of. “Must be serious,”</p><p>“You bet your ass it is,” Beth spat at the older seraph, and he held his hands up in surrender as they finally approached Beth’s cottage.</p><p>The cottages in the Bangor Tribe were arranged in a circle, with a large communal/common house standing in the center, and a couple cottages were dispersed in between the common house and outer cottages. Many of the outer cottages were empty, the tribe having shrunk significantly during a purge carried out by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America) in the 1930s. They were slow to repopulate, since seraphim tended to be picky when choosing life mates, so children were a rarity. Despite the slower aging of seraphim, most of the tribe were still either children or teenagers during the purge. </p><p>“See you tomorrow for <em> Snittywig </em>!” Nico called after her as she walked up to the door to her cottage, and Beth just flipped him off over her shoulder as she swung it open.</p><p>He was referring to the game of Snittywig, a distant descendant of Quidditch played by Seraphim, which the Bangor Tribe played every Saturday.</p><p>“Fuck,” Beth muttered, shouldering the door closed as she walked across her cottage to the tiny section cut out of the one room building for a bathroom. “I forgot about that,” Just as she opened her bathroom door, set on taking a shower to wash the sweat from her body and dirt from her hair and wings, a pounding sounded against her door.</p><p>“Beth!” Cam’s voice sounded from the other side, and Beth groaned.</p><p>“Go away!” she shouted back, but Cam was insistent.</p><p>“Beth! Beth! Beth!” she continued to call the teenager’s name, and finally Beth could take it no longer, stomping over and swinging the door open.</p><p>“What, Camilorain?” she spat, and Cam simply smirked at her.</p><p>“How was your flight?” Beth refused to even dignify the question with an answer, instead rolling her eyes and slamming the door in her friend’s face.</p><p>“That’s not nice!” she heard Cam call as she began to make her way back to the bathroom. “Us young ones gotta stick together! You can’t just shut me out!” Cam continued rambling on, but Beth was shaking her head, turning on some music and the water for the shower, glad that the noise drowned out Cam’s voice. At 19, Cam was barely above Beth in the hierarchy, and when Beth would leave for school for ¾ of the year, she was the youngest in the tribe. Beth couldn’t find it in herself to blame her tribemate for latching onto her for companionship, after all, she had barely any other teenage companionship throughout the year, while Beth had a whole school of people her age.</p><p>Beth sighed in relief when she stepped into the shower, the water massaging her brown wings pleasantly. She just stood there for a couple moments, letting her back muscles and wings relax after the two hour flight back. The others often forgot that even when her wings were used often and she was strong enough to make the flight to Montréal or beyond effortlessly, her wings were still weaker than theirs. Her fairy mother was to thank for that. Long since deceased, the fairy had passed on enough of her genes for Beth to be much shorter than other seraphim, standing at a pitiful 5’1’’ compared to the female average of 5’9’’. Her wings, as a result, were shorter than theirs were, and the feathers were softer for some reason.</p><hr/><p>The next day, Beth made her way to the clearing where the tribe played Snittywig alongside Cam. The two were dressed in the traditional player’s clothes, which were really barely any clothes at all. They had very short shorts on underneath sashes tied around their waists to sort of resemble a skirt. On their top halves they wore tight tank tops that cut off just above their belly buttons. Even though she wore the outfit every Saturday, and had since she was old enough to play, Beth always found herself slightly uncomfortable. Another attribute her fairy mother had passed down were her curves. Most seraph’s figures were willowy, but Beth had large thighs that stuck together on a hot day, and while the others had their sashes secured tightly around skinny hips, her own wide ones allowed her to tie the sash loosely, and it rested on her hips without aid. While good practically, she always felt like a chunky mess next to the willowy gods and goddesses she played with.</p><p>“First game since you’ve been back, huh?” Cam asked, excited, and Beth nodded, tugging awkwardly at her shorts.</p><p>“Beth!” Beth’s birth father, Jerry, called, coming over and hugging the girl, wings enclosing her affectionately.</p><p>“Hey,” Beth greeted with a smile and kiss on his cheek.</p><p>“I call Beth!” Jen called before Jerry could say anything more, and the tall, fiery-haired and winged seraph backed away from Beth with a glare. Jen just smirked at him, a dark brow raising in challenge, and Jerry sighed, walking to the other side of the field. Each Saturday there were different team captains, and they would choose their team. The tribe was close enough that no one got offended for not being chosen first, and the person to be chosen last was almost never bitter, unless it had been a very dramatic week. But mostly, the tribe understood that Snittywig was their way to destress, and drama had no place there. This week, the captains were Jen and Jerry. <br/>“Then I get Cam!” Jerry called as he crossed the field, and Beth and Cam shrugged at each other. They were almost never on the same team. Beth walked to Jen as Cam caught up with Jerry, and was swept into a hug.</p><p>“Hey,” Jen greeted, kissing the smaller seraph on the forehead. Parenting was a shared experience in seraphim culture, so even though Jerry was Beth’s birth father, she saw all of the older seraphim as aunts and uncles instead of parents.</p><p>“Ready to kick ass?” Beth asked, cringing when she heard an aggressive cough behind her.</p><p>“Language,” Barry, the tribe Patriarch grunted, smirking as Beth groaned.</p><p>“Fiiine,” she acquiesced, and Barry smirked, nodding before going to stand in the center of the field with the rest of the seraphim who had yet to be assigned to a team.</p><p>“Everyone ready?” Jen called, and was met by silence. She took that as an affirmative. “Good, Nina, come here!” she called, and the pretty healer smiled brightly as she jogged over to Jen and Beth. All of them were avoiding using their wings until the game, so that they had all the energy they needed. Beth was very glad that she wasn’t sore from the flight with Nico the previous day. Jen reached the pair, giving Beth a friendly side hug and Jen a kiss on the lips. The two had chosen each other as mates a couple years earlier while Beth was at school, and she still found herself grinning like an idiot whenever she witnessed displays of affection between the two, having told them since she was a toddler that they were meant to be.</p><p>“Minny!” Jerry called, and the Matriarch crossed to his end of the field.</p><p>“Barry!” Jen countered, and the tribe leaders exchanged smirks from opposite ends of the fields. The couple were <em> very </em> competitive.</p><p>This left Nico. Now that Beth had come home, the small tribe finally had an even number. Nico nodded, walking to stand by Jerry. As the last chosen, it was Nico’s job to form the ball.</p><p>A blue light appeared between his hands as Nico concentrated his magic, forming the ball they would use that game. The players tensed from the opposite sides of their fields, waiting for the ball to be complete. Once it left Nico’s hands, the game would begin. Nico smirked, completing the formation of the ball before looking around.</p><p>Finally, after a couple moments of tense anticipation, Nico tossed the ball in the air towards the center of the field, and the seraphim were flinging themselves up and after it.</p><p>The win condition of the game was simple, if a seraph could hold the ball for 9 seconds, it would turn red, and that was considered a point. The game was played to 9 points. </p><p>Beth quickly found herself playing defense, since Jen had grabbed the ball just before Minny could get her fingers on it. Beth and Barry worked to keep the other players away from Jen while Nina stayed closer to Jen, in case any of Jerry’s team slipped past Beth and Barry, who were the first line of defense.</p><p>Beth grunted as she found herself locked in a grappling match between herself and Nico, her wings straining with the effort of not losing ground against the larger seraph. His figure dwarfed hers, standing at a height of 6’4’’ when they were on the ground. He smirked at her as his wings flapped harder, finally pushing her back and away as he dove for Jen. Beth flailed for a moment, falling towards the ground, before she managed to straighten herself out and come to a glide close to the ground. She swung around, going back to help Nina protect Jen from Nico. She could see the orb beginning to change, they just needed another second or two. Before she could reach Nico, he had roughly shoulder checked Nina aside and made it to Jen, barreling into her and causing her to drop the ball. </p><p>Jen wouldn’t go down without a fight, however, and Beth dove for the ball as Jen grabbed Nico, wrestling with him so he couldn’t grab it. Beth’s gaze darted around, seeing Barry and Jerry grappling with each other, evenly matched, and Nina engaging Cam, but where was Minny..? Beth was lucky to look up, darting away at the last second as Minny was rocketing towards her in a dive. Thankfully, her momentum prevented her from being able to pursue Beth quickly, and the small seraph took that advantage, flying as fast as she could to a far end of the circular field. She could see the tendrils of red beginning to seep from the center of the ball, and her eyes continued to nervously dart around. Just a couple more seconds… </p><p>Her eyes widened when Jerry was finally able to shove Barry to the side, and he began rocketing towards her, his large, bright red wings flapping in huge arcs as he came for her. Beth glanced around, seeing he was going at a slightly downward angle, and held her ground, glancing between Jerry and the ball. At the last second, Beth flapped her wings hard, sending her shooting up as Jerry whipped past. As he struggled to come to a stop and turn around, the ball turned red, and Beth cheered.</p><p>“POINT!” she shouted, and the other members of her team let out excited whoops and hollers. As the person to score, Beth was tasked with changing the ball back to the bright blue color it had been before. The teams reassembled on either side of the field, and Beth concentrated her magic into the ball, causing the red to swirl and retreat back into the center until it was no longer visible. Looking around, Beth paused for a moment before tossing the ball up into the center. Both teams raced for it, and Nico managed to grab it for a moment before Barry bowled into him, allowing Nina to grab the ball and dart away. Beth’s eyes widened as she saw Cam and Minny both hurtling towards Nina, and she flung herself in the way, Cam knocking directly into her and sending them both spiraling towards the ground, and Minny found herself having to pull away to not join the crashing younger seraphim. </p><p>Cam and Beth were able to detangle themselves before they hit the ground, straightening out and going right back to grappling. Minny was left unattended, though not for long, since Jen came and was able to block her path to Nina. The ball was beginning to turn red, and Beth saw a flash of red wings in the corner of her vision. Her eyes widened as she saw Jerry diving towards Nina.</p><p>“Nina!” Barry shouted. “Move!” the poor healer froze, looking over at Barry in confusion, and Jerry was able to knock the ball from her hands, swooping low to catch it and then flying to a far end of the field. Jen tried to go after him, but Minny was able to switch from playing offense to defense easily, and Beth and Cam were too low to the ground, Beth knew she wouldn’t make it in time. She saw Barry finally manage to get past Nico, shoving him aside and barreling after Jerry. Nico flapped his wings hard, trying to catch Barry, but the two had always been evenly matched for speed, having the same wingspan, and Nico wasn’t able to catch Barry before he checked Jerry. Unfortunately for him, though, as he grabbed the ball, it did not change color, and he groaned as Jerry began to laugh.</p><p>“POINT!” he shouted, and this time it was his team who was cheering.</p><hr/><p>In the end, Jen’s team managed to win, 9 points to 7. This meant that the players on the other team were on dish duty for the next week.</p><p>The summer went on much like it began. Beth would fly around in the evenings with Nico or Cam, or sometimes both, and during the day she would either do chores around the village or study with Jen and Nico. Seraphim had their own lessons they felt were important to teach that generic schools did not, mostly because it was history or biology specific to them. In the tribe, Jen and Nico were the teachers, and so they would teach Beth about things like mating bonds, and how to interpret a soul. Seraphim could see someone’s soul if they wished, and depending on the color and brightness, they could generally tell what wrongs a person has committed. Before Beth had begun her schooling at Hogwarts, Cam and her would study together under Jen and Nico, but since her acceptance Beth’s seraph lessons were moved to the summer, while Cam followed a regular school schedule. </p><p>That was an endless source of mirth for the elder, teasing Beth about needing to go to school year round, but Beth didn’t let it get to her. Of course, Cam’s schooling had ended two years before, the 19 year old now working on different tribe trades and seeing which role would suit her best. This would be Beth’s last summer of seraph schooling as well, though she was technically already considered an adult. Seraphim matured marginally faster than humans, so despite being 17 years old she was mentally and physically the equivalent of a 20 year old human.</p><p>The last flight of the summer was always made into a big deal, since Beth wouldn’t be able to go on long flights for another 9 or so months. Everyone in the tribe participated, and that year they had decided to fly to the coast. Minny took up the front, her glossy black wings sticking out against the bright horizon, with Barry and Cam on either side of her. Beth found herself in the middle of Jerry and Nico, with Jen on the other side of Nico and Nina on the other side Jen.</p><p>It hadn’t really been as fun as they thought it would be, the salty air clumping up most of their feathers, and Beth found herself wincing in discomfort as her delicate wings caught sand and salt water. Most of the others didn’t mind so much, their coarser feathers deflecting the sand and making the salt water less of a discomfort and more an aesthetic boon. The flight back found Beth diving into a freshwater lake to try to get some of the gunk out of her wings. The others laughed, but Beth was pouting in her now soaked clothing, and her hair clung uncomfortably to her face for the rest of the flight.</p><p>Almost too soon, Beth had her trunks packed and was locking up her cottage. Everyone received a tight hug before Beth flew to Boston, where she would apparate with a wizard friend of the Bangor Tribe to London and catch the Hogwarts Express.</p><p>This year’s train ride was odd, to say the least. It started out normal, though, she sat with her best friends, Percy Weasley and Cedric Diggory. The two rising sixth years spent most of the ride lamenting how this was her last train ride to Hogwarts with them, but Beth would just laugh and ruffle their hair, much to Percy’s chagrin.</p><p>“Hey!” he whined, batting Beth’s hands away. “Don’t touch my-” before he could finish his sentence, the lights on the train flickered. The trio froze in their shenanigans, looking around as a creaking was heard, and the train screeched to a stop. “What’s happening?” Percy gasped, his breath visible in front of his face. Beth shivered a bit, looking around and noting the ice on the windows. <em> In August? </em></p><p>“We can’t be there yet,” Cedric muttered, peering out the window to try to see. Beth pulled out her wand, going to the door of her compartment. “Beth?”</p><p>“I have a bad feeling about this,” she murmured, hand raising to the door slowly, swinging it open. She peeked out, looking left then right, before turning back to the two 6th years. “Stay here,” they looked like they were about to protest, but Beth slammed the door and cast a spell on the door to lock it so they wouldn’t be able to leave the compartment. Her grip tightened on her wand as she walked as quickly as she dared through the train, looking into each compartment to make sure that everyone was unhurt. A,s she was peering into the compartment housing Percy’s younger brothers Fred and George, with their best friend Lee Jordan, she heard a scream. Beth ran at that point, sliding past the trolley of treats which stood abandoned in the middle of the hall. She opened the door to the next car of the train, and froze in shock when she saw a dark figure in a tattered black hood floating in front of a compartment. The doors and windows around the figure were iced over, and Beth saw it float into the compartment, hearing the scream again.</p><p>“HARRY!” was that Hermoine Granger? Beth shook herself out of her stupor and ran forward, pointing her wand toward the dementor.</p><p>“Expec-”</p><p>“<em> EXPECTO PATRONUM </em>!” another voice shouted, and Beth cut herself off as a bright light filled the car, causing the dementor to screech and flutter away, leaving the car before Beth could really react. She ran into the compartment the dementor had been in, seeing Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley standing above a passed out Harry Potter.</p><p>“Move!” she gasped, nudging Ron out of the way as gently as she could manage before kneeling in front of Harry, not paying much attention to the man in the compartment with them. He had a mustache and sandy blonde hair, and was wearing robes that had definitely seen better days. Beth cradled Harry’s head, moving it to her lap as she gently tapped his cheek. “Harry?” she called softly, and the boy shifted, groaning. “Harry,” she called again, seeing the distressed lines on his face smooth out finally before his eyes slowly blinked open.</p><p>“Beth?” he asked, and she nodded with a soft smile.</p><p>“You alright?” she asked, and he nodded.</p><p>“Yeah,” he sat up, looking around. “What was that?”</p><p>“A dementor,” the man spoke before Beth could, kneeling down next to Harry and handing him a square of chocolate. “Eat this, it’ll help,” he said, and Harry just stared blankly at the man as he took the chocolate, nibbling on it. “They feed on painful memories and experiences,” the man explained, and Harry’s brows pinched together.</p><p>“Is that why it felt…” he paused, and the man nodded encouragingly for him to go on. “It felt like it sucked all the happiness out of me,” he turned to Beth at that. “How did you fix that?” he asked, and Beth smiled softly as she explained.</p><p>“I’m half fairy, so my presence and touch helps people’s dreams,” she told him. “I figured a dementor attack is similar enough to a nightmare,” she shrugged, and Harry nodded.</p><p>“Thanks,” Beth shook her head.</p><p>“Don’t thank me, thank him, he’s the one who cast the patronus to get the dementor away,” she said, and Harry turned to the man once more.</p><p>“Thank you,” he muttered, and the man nodded with a smile.</p><p>“Of course,”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The man who had cast the patronus on the Hogwarts Express that day turned out to be Professor Remus Lupin, Hogwarts’ new defense against the dark arts teacher. Beth liked him, he was soft spoken but it was clear that he was extremely intelligent, it was even more so after having a couple of classes with him. She much preferred his teaching style of hands on learning as opposed to the textbook lectures she had been sentenced to in previous years.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could tell he wasn’t human, however. On the train she had briefly noticed that his soul had an odd shape, but hadn’t paid much attention to it since at the time there were more pressing matters. After her first DADA class with him she finally figured out his secret, that he was a werewolf. She didn’t say anything to anyone, of course, knowing that Dumbledore wouldn’t have asked him to be a teacher at the school if it wasn’t safe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first month went by without much happening, really, and it was a little over a week before the first full moon of the school year that Madame Pomfrey called Beth into her office for a special task.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need you to make the wolfsbane potion for Remus,” she demanded, handing Beth a box of ingredients. “Use my office,” Beth sputtered, scrambling to keep a hold on the heavy box once Madame Pomfrey let go of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why can’t you do it?” she asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t trust myself, and Severus refused,” Madame Pomfrey explained before walking to the door to her office. Without another word, the door was swung open and then closed behind her as the head of Hogwarts med wing went to tend to her patients. Beth huffed, looking at the ingredients before hauling up a cauldron.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, make the wolfsbane potion Beth,” Beth muttered sardonically as she began to prepare the ingredients. “It’s not like it’s a complex potion that could literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill</span>
  </em>
  <span> the man if I make it wrong,” she grumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beth was lucky to not have classes that day, as the making of the potion required intense focus and almost constant supervision until complete, which would take a couple of hours.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She managed to finish the wolfsbane potion a couple of minutes before dinner, and smiled to herself, proud at having made the potion successfully. She exited Madame Pomfrey’s office, walking up to the healer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All finished, Madame Pomfrey,” she said, and the woman nodded to indicate she heard her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you dear,” she said. “Now if you could deliver that I’d appreciate it very much,” Beth went to protest, but thought better of it when she saw the nasty burn on the arm of the student Madame Pomfrey was tending. Instead she went back into the office and poured the cauldron into a vat to transport it to the DADA classroom. She thought she would just be dumping it in an empty classroom, since dinner had just started by the time she turned and entered the hallway where the classroom was located, but instead she ran right into Professor Lupin as he opened his door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m sorry,” he gave her a soft smile as a tuft of hair fell in his face, his arms raising to make sure she didn’t fall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s all good, professor,” Beth assured him, standing there awkwardly for a moment before looking down at the vat in her hands. “Oh! I have your potion!” she said, thrusting it into his hands, and the poor man looked startled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” he gasped, and Beth bit her lip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For… ya know… your condition?” she muttered, not wanting to risk someone overhearing them, and Professor Lupin took in a deep breath, eyes darting around before his hand closed around her upper arm and he pulled her into his classroom, heading up the steps to his living quarters. He hurriedly closed the door behind them, rounding on Beth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you know what that potion is?” he demanded, and Beth’s brows pinched in confusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I made it?” she said, phrasing it like a question. “Madame Pomfrey was busy, so I made it,” the professor stared at her for a moment, as if in disbelief, before he sighed heavily, shoulders drooping as he dropped himself into the chair behind his desk, appearing ten years older than he actually was in that moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you know?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That you’re…?” Beth trailed off, and he nodded. “Oh, well, as a seraph I can see souls, and yours is shaped… different,” she explained. It was a difficult concept to describe to a human, since the soul wasn’t actually a physical entity that could be seen, but the best way to describe it using language was to speak as if it was. The seeing of souls was also mostly undocumented by humans, seraphs not being a race they knew much about. Most wizards and witches only knew the basics, which were to not touch a seraph’s wings unless given their explicit permission.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even my soul is wolf shaped?” the professor laughed bitterly, but Beth shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not shaped like anything, really,” she told him with furrowed brows, observing him and his soul closer as he looked up at her in confusion. “Souls are really just blobs, and colors and brightness tell us what wrongs a person has committed, but the shape of a soul is different for each species,” Beth explained. “A seraph’s soul, for example, is a little softer, while a metamorphmagus is never stagnant, and a werewolf’s soul is kind of…” she trailed off, trying to think of the right word. “Spiky,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spiky,” the professor repeated slowly, raising his brows at her, and Beth nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she bit her lip. “And um… I won’t tell anyone, you know,” she muttered, and Lupin looked up at her, eyes pinched in confusion. “If Dumbledore trusts you, then I don’t think there’s anything to fear,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dumbledore could be oblivious to my… condition,” Lupin countered, but Beth smiled softly at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s a legilimens, he’s not oblivious to anything,” she shot back, knowing this because legilimens had almost translucent souls, and Lupin shrugged, satisfied with how his impromptu interrogation had gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should get dinner,” he said after a moment’s pause, standing and opening the door to his office. Beth nodded, standing and going to leave before she paused, turning to him as she stood in the doorway. She found herself standing closer to him than she normally would, her wings curled in close so they wouldn’t push up against the doorframe as she tilted her head up to look into his eyes. Lupin stood frozen, still holding the door open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should as well, you shouldn’t drink that potion on an empty stomach,” she muttered, and Lupin nodded. Satisfied, Beth turned and descended the steps to the DADA classroom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beth,” Lupin called as she reached the bottom of the stairs, and she turned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, professor?” Lupin cringed at her use of his title, for some reason.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” Beth smiled softly, exiting the classroom and beginning to walk to the Great Hall, finding that her thoughts refused to leave Remus Lupin and his blue eyes… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she passed through the courtyard, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a large black dog sitting by a statue, tail wagging as it observed her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh hello,” she smiled at it, digging into her pocket and fishing out a piece of jerky. She had been seeing the dog around since coming to Hogwarts, and had begun carrying around jerky for it. As such, he had taken to following her around when she was outside, which was most of the time since she almost always helped Hagrid out when he taught Care of Magical Creatures. She knew the dog was an animagus, his soul definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> that of a dog’s, but she couldn’t figure out who he was. She guessed one of the other seventh years, or maybe a sixth year, since he appeared full grown but she didn’t think any of them were registered as an animagus… not that it was unheard of for animagi to go unregistered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dog trotted over, taking the jerky delicately from her hand. He nudged his head into her hand after he swallowed the jerky, and Beth giggled, scratching behind his ears. The dog’s tail wagged faster, and he moved even closer to her, sitting by her feet as his tail thumped against the stone of the courtyard. Beth was surprised, however, when it quickly stopped wagging, and the dog stood tall, growling with his hackles raised. Beth tilted her head, confused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t know you had a dog!” It was just Cedric, and Beth relaxed. The dog relaxed as well, seeing that this was presumably one of her friends, and Beth smiled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t,” she responded, and Cedric’s eyes looked between her and the large black dog, sitting obediently at her feet and leaning against her leg. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh huh,” he said, unconvinced, and Beth chuckled. “I know dogs are against the rules, but I wouldn’t tell, unlike Perce-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He follows me around, he’s definitely not mine though,” she cut him off, not wanting the animagus to get all bitter about someone thinking she owned him, and Cedric shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever you say,” he muttered, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the Great Hall, the dog following. “Let’s eat,” Beth stopped at the doors, turning to the dog.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See you around, huh?” she smiled at it, and the dog nodded before turning and wandering off. Cedric wasn’t paying much attention, and didn’t notice the nod, but Beth definitely did. She wondered who the dog could possibly be, and why it seemed to show up at the most random of times. The dog turned and walked away, and Cedric and Beth entered the great hall, going to sit at the Hufflepuff table, both giving Percy a friendly pat on the shoulder as they passed.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>That week, during DADA class, Beth found herself staring at Professor Lupin more than she should’ve. Luckily nobody seemed to notice. Nobody except him, that is. Much to Beth’s embarrassment, he’d often catch her staring, and send her a teasing smirk, or once Beth swore he even winked jokingly at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luckily for Lupin, there were no DADA classes on Fridays, as the first full moon of the school year fell on September 30, a Thursday, so he had the weekend to recover. Beth noticed that he didn’t come to the Great Hall for any of the meals the day after, so that Friday evening she went up to the DADA classroom with two plates of meatloaf. She made her way into the classroom and up the stairs, tapping the door to his living quarters with her foot since her hands were occupied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Professor Lupin?” she called after a moment of no response. “It’s me, Beth,” she heard a pained groan before some creaking and shuffling footsteps. The door slowly opened after another moment, and Beth was surprised at the state Lupin was in. His clothes were ruffled, his hair sticking out at all different angles, and his face was terribly pale, making his scars even more pronounced. He looked sick. She knew that the wolfsbane potion was unpleasant, but she hadn’t expected him to appear so miserable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beth?” he asked, face puzzled, and she nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I noticed you hadn’t come to the Great Hall for meals, so I brought meatloaf,” she explained with a soft smile, and Lupin’s eyes widened at the kind gesture. He stepped aside, allowing her to shuffle past him. In his exhausted state, it seemed he almost forgot about her wings, and Beth blushed as she curled her wings close to her body, the tips brushing against his pant legs as she walked by, but she quickly shook off her embarrassment and set both plates on the desk, pulling some silverware out of her pocket and using a quick spell to clean it. Lupin cleared his throat awkwardly, slowly shuffling after her to the desk and sitting down behind it, gesturing for Beth to do so as well in the seat in front of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he mumbled, eyes downcast as he grabbed his plate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” Beth responded, smile still on her face, and grabbed her own. The two ate in companionable silence for a while. “This may be a bad question to ask, so don’t answer if you don’t want to, but how are you feeling?” Beth finally asked the question she had been wanting to since he had opened the door after she set her plate down, and Lupin let out a humorless chuckle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like shit,” he responded bluntly, and Beth sighed in sympathy, seeing his eyes flick up to meet hers before they shot down and he returned to staring at his plate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anything I can help with?” she asked, and Lupin shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, dear,” he told her with a small smile, though it turned into a grimace at the discomfort he was feeling. “I appreciate the sentiment, nonetheless,” he assured her, and Beth nodded awkwardly. She stayed silent, shifting occasionally in her seat and trying to at least provide some companionship for the miserable werewolf as she waited for him to finish the food she had brought. “It’s mainly nightmares,” he piped up after a long bout of silence, pleasantly surprising Beth with his forthcomingness. “The potion may prevent me from turning, yes, but it helps very little with… other things,” he explained, and Beth frowned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If it’s nightmares, I can fix that easily enough,” she said, standing and looking around the office of his living quarters. “Do you have wire, or string, or something?” she asked, on a mission now, and Lupin gestured towards a drawer near the door, where Beth found a ball of twine after shuffling some things around. She smiled. “Perfect,” she unraveled some of it, cutting and twisting it into a meaningless pattern before sitting down again. Lupin observed her quietly, curious as to what she was doing, and his eyes widened when Beth shifted her wings so the tips were in front of her, and she gently plucked two of her feathers, wincing at the feeling but trying not to show Lupin that it hurt her, since it was more of pinch than anything else. She didn’t want him to feel bad about it, after all she wanted to help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Lupin finally voiced his question as she wove her feathers into the patterned twine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Making a dreamcatcher,” she giggled as she explained. “When I was little and I was first learning about my fairy blood, I wondered if it had to be my presence like, in person, or if I could just leave a part of me, like hair or feathers,” she explained. “Then I saw some native american dream catchers in a little shop, and the shopkeep explained to me what they did, so I made some for my friend Cam, who’s always suffered from nightmares. It ended up working, so I figure this might help for you,” her voice got quieter at the end, shy as she handed him the dreamcatcher, but the professor smiled charmingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he whispered, taking the charm from her hands, their fingers brushing for a moment, before Beth stepped back with a blush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” she murmured in reply.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Percy and Cedric are good bros</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first Hogsmeade trip of the year was on Halloween, interestingly enough. Beth was beaming as she waited for Professor Sprout to give everyone the all clear to go to Hogsmeade. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, dearies,” the stout woman sighed as she stood, though most of her students still towered over her. “You’re making </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> anxious to get out of here, go on to Hogsmeade,” the rest of the Hufflepuffs around Beth cheered as they stampeded off the grounds and towards Hogsmeade.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Finally,” Cedric sighed in relief as he and Beth hung back by the main door of the castle, waiting for the Gryffindors to be let out. Beth wing’s ruffled in delight as the wind blew through them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me about it,” she nodded, tilting her head back with her eyes closed, relishing the fact that she’d get to be outside all day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There you are!” they turned at the sound of the voice calling to them, and saw Percy sporting a rare grin as he walked up to them. Beth rushed forward to hug him before he could protest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perce!” she cheered, and the redhead shoved her away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You and your affection,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes, and Beth levelled him with a glare.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You tell me to stop hugging you and I will,” she promised, not one to make people uncomfortable, but also knowing that Percy (not so) secretly adored hugs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever,” the prefect scoffed, and Beth giggled as he stormed ahead of her and Cedric.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it really that cold? Your cheeks are all pink!” she teased, and Percy huffed, turning further away from her, but Cedric was already on the other side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They are!” he fake gasped, reaching up a finger to poke the side of Percy’s face. “You alright, Perce?” Percy scowled, pushing both Beth and Cedric away from him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sod off,” he growled, and Beth just shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But then you’d be lonely,” she whined, and Percy rolled his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two are impossible,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awe, you know you wouldn’t want it any other way,” Cedric grinned, throwing a friendly arm over Percy’s shoulders, and this time the boy did nothing to escape the affection.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are we going first?” Beth asked, and Percy and Cedric turned to each other with a knowing look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you feel about going for a flight around the shack?” Cedric asked, and Beth squealed, turning to look at him with shining eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” she gasped. “You guys wouldn’t mind?” Percy and Cedric both shook their heads.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nice to watch you fly,” Percy shrugged, and Beth threw her arms around both boys, pulling them tightly to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you guys,” she muttered, and Percy patted her bag as Cedric ran a hand through her hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We love you too, Beth,” Cedric said and Percy nodded in agreement. As soon as Beth pulled away her hands slid down their arms to grab Cedric’s and Percy’s hands, and she started to drag them to the overlook near the Shrieking Shack. Her wings ruffled up in anticipation of a good flight, and Percy and Cedric both exchanged another look as they got to the overlook. Their hands were dropped and before either of them could say anything Beth gave one powerful flap and soared up into the air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes!” she shouted in pure joy as she flew as fast as she could to the shack and back. “Time me!” she shouted down at the boys, and Cedric rolled his eyes, sitting down next to Percy on a random rock. He rolled up his sleeve so he could look at his watch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Three… Two… One… Go!” he shouted, and Beth’s laughter could be heard fading as she flew to the shack, and she was still laughing when she came back. Cedric checked his watch and grinned. “36 seconds!” he called up to Beth, who was hovering expectantly above them. “You’ve gotten faster!” he praised, last time they had all been to Hogsmeade it had been 40 seconds. Beth grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hell yeah!” she cheered, racing back to the shack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s that?” Percy asked, squinting and pointing at a dark spot hovering around the shack, looping around the roof in aimless circles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Cedric asked, grin still present as he tried to see what Percy was pointing at. They saw the spot start to move towards Beth as she reached the shack, and both boys began shouting for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beth!” Percy shouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come back!” Cedric cupped his hands around his mouth to get her to hear them, but they were both too late. Beth opened her eyes after doing a corkscrew only to fly right into a dark hooded figure. The figure didn’t even seem to notice her, it continued moving and shoved Beth out of the way. The seraph released a scream as her wings caught on the cloak of the figure, and her wide, terrified eyes looked up at the hood. She screamed anew when she realized it was a dementor, and all of a sudden she was falling. She didn’t have enough time to right herself once her wings escaped the cloak, and instead of gliding away she fell onto the roof of the Shrieking Shack with an ‘oof’.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ow…” she muttered, sitting up and wincing as one of her wings pulled. The dementor still didn’t seem to notice her, and she figured it was because it couldn’t detect darkness. Seraphim were naturally beings of light, so even when one was not really a good person, their souls would still appear more pure than most. Beth gasped when she heard a creaking directly below her, but before she could scramble away she was falling through the roof and onto the floor of a room. She heard more than felt the crack in one of her wings, her entire left wing going numb upon impact, and she groaned, looking around. The room was covered in dust, and some of the floorboards were missing. Sheets were covering what she presumed was furniture, and she could hear mice or rats scurrying about the place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck,” she groaned as she sat up, glazing at her left wing and seeing it bent where it definitely should not be. She pulled out her wand, a 10” beech wood with a unicorn hair core, and cast a patronus. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Expecto patronum</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” she grit out, and because of her pain, it wasn’t her best work. The hound was only partially formed, and she quickly relayed the message she wished to send. “Tell Percy and Cedric my wing has been injured, and then go to Madame Pomfrey. I’m going to start making my way to the school but I don’t know when the pain is going to kick in,” the hound looked at her expectantly, ears perked, and she smiled weakly at it. “Go on, go fetch,” she muttered, and the hound let out a bark before bounding up through the hole in the roof and over to the overlook.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beth held tight to her wand as she stood up, making sure her patronus was still being cast. She groaned when she stood, and she looked down to see a couple of cuts on her legs. She couldn’t cast </span>
  <em>
    <span>Episkey</span>
  </em>
  <span> while she was casting her patronus, so she grit her teeth and began to make her way out of whatever room she was in. She pushed a rotting door aside, and jumped when it fell right off the hinges, falling to the ground with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>BANG</span>
  </em>
  <span>. On the other side of the doorway was a landing and some stairs, and Beth grimaced when she realized she’d have to go down them. If her wing was working, she would have gone out the way she came in, but instead she had to try not to break the Shrieking Shack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking tentative steps, Beth cringed when she felt the wood underneath her foot splinter, and quickly hurried down to the next stair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ow!” she gasped as her hand went to grip the railing, pulling it away quickly when she realized that the entire rail was covered in splinters and a dried substance that looked eerily like blood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beth!” she heard Percy’s muffled voice calling for her through the walls, and she gasped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perce?” she called, stumbling down the last couple of steps and making her way to what looked like the front door. She was right, and it swung open to reveal Percy and Cedric, pink in the cheeks and panting from having run down the overlook and to the Shack. “What are you doing here?” she demanded, a scowl coming to her face as her head whipped around, looking for the dementor. “The dementor could still be around!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can use our patronus if it gets too close,” Cedric shrugged, and both he and Percy gasped when Beth awkwardly shuffled through the door. Usually, she was able to bend her wings into her body and fit through a doorway normally, but since she had no use of her left wing, she had to side shuffle through it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your wing…” Percy muttered, and Beth nodded, wincing as she began to feel the pain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” she responded, and Percy and Cedric were quick to come to her aid when she stumbled forward. Each of them looped an arm over their shoulders, and they helped Beth back to the overlook. Each of them gulped as they regarded the steep hill that led back to the main path with trepidation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you manage?” Cedric asked, and Beth nodded, clenching her jaw. The trio slowly began their ascent, and once they were three quarters of the way to the top they heard more voices.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beth?” it was Madame Pomfrey.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are you?” Professor Lupin, what was he doing here? The students scrambled the rest of the way up the hill.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re here!” Cedric called and both professors’ faces relaxed when they caught sight of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh thank goodness,” Madame Pomfrey breathed, rushing up to examine Beth. “Oh my,” she flinched when she saw the sorry state of Beth’s wing, as well as the cuts on her legs, which were bleeding much more than Beth had originally thought they were. “We need to get you to the Hospital Wing,” she muttered worriedly, looking over at Professor Lupin, who had approached and was prepared to help in anyway he could. “Remus, could you…?” he nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boys, I got her,” he said to Percy and Cedric, causing them to move away. Before any of the three students really knew what was happening, Beth was picked up by Professor Lupin and being held up against his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh!” she gasped, and Professor Lupin grunted as he adjusted his grip on her, his hands holding her by her upper thighs, right below her butt. Madame Pomfrey nodded, satisfied, before she turned and began making her way back to Hogwarts, muttering about preparing the necessary potions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, dear,” he muttered as he began to walk, Percy and Cedric following just behind him. “I would imagine this isn’t entirely comfortable,” he smiled slightly at her, and Beth huffed out a chuckle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fiiiine,” she muttered, and brought her arms up around the Professor’s neck. “Plus, you’re warm,” she giggled, burrowing her face into the side of his neck, and he gasped slightly at the contact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beth,” Percy hissed, and she hummed in question. “Get ahold of yourself,” Professor Lupin shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s alright, Mr. Weasley,” he assured the Gryffindor boy. “She’s in shock,” He adjusted his grip once more before looking back over his shoulder at the two boys trailing behind him. “Now, would you gentlemen care to explain to me what happened?” coming from any other professor, it would have sounded like they were in trouble, but Professor Lupin was simply curious, and the boys immediately began telling him, speaking over one another at times.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She likes to fly around the shack-” Percy started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So we suggested we go there first, and she did a lap that we timed, but then when she went for another-” Cedric cut him off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She was flying back and there was this dark thing, we couldn’t see what it was, but it-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It ran straight into her!” Cedric shouted. “It was like it didn’t even see her!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She said it was a dementor,” Percy piped up. “But it would have done something then, wouldn’t it?” Professor Lupin shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As a seraph, Beth has more positive energy than most,” he explained. He wouldn’t admit it to them, but after Beth had brought him dinner that Friday evening, he had begun to further research Seraphim. “Dementors see living things by sensing the negativity, the absence of hope, and usually they are unable to detect seraphim and other light beings,” he paused and took a breath, before looking at them expectantly. “So she ran into the dementor…” he trailed off, waiting for the boys to fill in the rest of the story.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And her wing caught in it’s cloak or something, and she fell-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We heard her scream all the way from the overlook,” Cedric piped up, his face paling despite the pink that was in his cheeks from the cold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And she landed pretty hard on the roof of the Shrieking Shack, but then the roof broke and she fell through!” Percy explained. “I’m not sure what happened after that…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was in this dustyyyyy room,” Beth piped up. “Reaalllly dusty, creepy too, and I cast my hound-I mean patronus, and told it to tell Cedric and Perce what happened, and then get Madame Pomfff,” she was slurring, and the three males exchanged worried glances, picking up their pace. “And there was this rotting door, and it fell right off the frame! And the stairs… yiiiikes,” she giggled deliriously. “The railing was all spiky, and there was all this red stuff! I’m pretty sure it was dried blood,” Professor Lupin tensed, but thankfully neither the boys nor Beth noticed it. “And then Cedric and Percy came to saaave meee!” she smiled. “Oh! And Madame Pomfreyy n you!” she snuggled further into Professor Lupin’s neck, and Cedric and Percy decided not to comment on the pink spreading on the Professor’s cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, they entered the courtyard, and Lupin looked over his shoulder to address Cedric and Percy once more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something happened during the day,” he said. “I suggest you two go to the main hall and find your house leaders,” their faces twisted in confusion, but both Cedric and Percy nodded and went to the doors of the Great Hall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?” Beth whispered as Professor Lupin carried her through the halls towards the Hospital Wing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sirius Black has been spotted in the castle,” he answered in an equally quiet voice, and Beth just nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” she murmured. “Okay,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All students must sleep in the Great Hall tonight, Dumbledore wants us to be able to keep an eye on everybody,” he continued, and Beth scoffed, her face twisting into a scowl, though it wasn’t visible since her face was still buried in the crook of Lupin’s neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s bullshit,” Beth muttered, and Lupin’s brows raised as he glanced down at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh?” she hummed, her eyes closing to slits. Lupin jostled her a bit, not wanting her to lose consciousness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If he’s in the castle for the reason everybody thinks he is, which is to kill Harry, he would have already had ample opportunity to do so,” she explained. “I don’t think that’s why he’s here,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t think he’s here to hurt anybody?” Professor Lupin asked, surprised, but Beth shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, this just wouldn’t be a deranged terrorist, or a revenge murderer’s M.O.” she said. “If he was as deranged and violent as the Ministry wants us to believe, which I think most people would become some kind of crazy anyways after 12 years in Azkaban, he would have started killing students indiscriminately. Plus, I can guarantee you he’s probably been here longer than just today. If he were here solely to kill Harry, he would have done so by now and then got the hell out of dodge,” she was rambling, but Lupin found he preferred the rambling to the extended words and slurring.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They finally pushed open the doors of the Hospital Wing, and found Madame Pomfrey waiting next to one of the cots.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wonderful!” she exclaimed. “Remus, lay her on her right side,” she instructed, and the Professor carefully disentangled himself from Beth’s grip as he lowered her to the cot. Madame Pomfrey glanced at Beth’s legs, and then Lupin’s attire. “Oh my,” she muttered, and Lupin’s brows furrowed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s lost a lot of blood,” she said, gesturing to his clothes. The side of his coat and trousers where Beth’s legs had rested were soaked in blood, and he shifted uncomfortably as he was made aware of the sticky feeling. Madame Pomfrey uncorked a bottle and shoved it into Beth’s mouth. “Drink,” she demanded when Beth made a face at the unpleasant taste. When Beth had dutifully swallowed the potion down, Madame Pomfrey turned to Lupin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold her down!” she ordered, and though he was confused, he did as she said, grabbing hold of her shoulders. “That potion is going to hurt,” she explained, and not a second later did Beth start screaming. Lupin winced at the sound, his arms tensing with effort as Beth began to thrash around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Make it stop make it stop make it stop!” she pleaded, and Lupin felt his heart lurch violently at the sight of fat tears rolling down her face. She screamed again, and a sickening </span>
  <em>
    <span>crack</span>
  </em>
  <span> was heard as the bone in her wing snapped itself back together. Before she could begin thrashing her wings, Madame Pomfrey pulled out her wand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Petrificus Totalus</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” she shouted, and Lupin’s eyes widened in shock as Beth froze completely, though her eyes continued to dart around. Her hands were fisted tightly in his sleeves, trapping him in a hunched over position, and he glanced up at Madame Pomfrey, who was soothing Beth. “I’m sorry, dear,” she murmured. “But you would’ve broken your wing all over again,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Madame Pomfrey,” Lupin grunted, trying to free his sleeves from Beth’s hands, and the woman laughed when she looked over and saw his predicament.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sit tight, Remus, I’ll release the curse as soon as I’m done treating her,” she said, sorting through a box of vials for a moment before pulling one out. “Ah! This should help counter the blood loss,” she said, tilting Beth to the side and pouring it into her mouth, which was still open in a scream. She massaged the seraph’s throat causing her to swallow, and then turned to face her wing. “I’ll need to immobilize this,” she muttered to herself, before turning and looking around for something. “There we go!” she pulled out an odd looking sash and tied it around the base of Beth’s left wing. “This will prevent her from moving it,” she said, and then waved her wand to release the curse. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beth shot up in the end of a scream, and instinctually her arms wrapped around the body she came into contact with, who just so happened to be Professor Lupin. He blinked, shocked, and looked over at Madame Pomfrey, at a loss as to what to do. She just shrugged before motioning for him to hug her back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Comfort</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she mouthed to him, and tentatively Lupin wrapped his arms around the girl, pulling her against his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” he murmured into her hair as tiny sobs racked her body. “You’re okay,” and he held her as she continued to cry.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After what they had deemed ‘the incident’, Cedric and Percy could usually be found spending most, if not all of their free time at Beth’s side. It was honestly more for their comfort than her’s, reassuring themselves that she was alright. They had seen Professor Lupin after he left Beth in the Hospital Wing. He hadn’t had time to change, and had rushed directly to the great hall where all of the professors had been summoned. His clothes were covered in blood, and surprisingly, Percy had been the one to shove past the students and professors crowding the great hall to inquire about Beth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Professor Lupin!” he called, none too gently shoving a fourth year Ravenclaw to the side. The Professor jumped, but upon seeing who was calling him relaxed. “Is she-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beth is fine, Percy,” he assured the Gryffindor prefect. “She is resting in the Hospital Wing,” Professor Lupin straightened, looking at something across the room. “Now, I must speak with Dumbledore, but I would greatly appreciate it if you could pass on the news to Mr. Diggory,” and with that he made his way through the sea of witches and wizards to the headmaster. Percy turned and made his way to where the Hufflepuffs were gathered, finding Cedric with Professor Sprout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my,” she was saying. “How terrible!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, that’s why I was hoping I could go to the Hospital Wing-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, Cedric dear,” she immediately shot him down. “All students need to stay in the Great Hall for now,” Cedric’s face fell, and Professor Sprout mirrored his frown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cedric!” Percy clasped the boy’s shoulder. “I just spoke to Professor Lupin, she’s alright, just resting in the Hospital Wing,” Cedric let out a heavy breath of relief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank Merlin,” he muttered, and Percy nodded. Cedric turned once more to Professor Sprout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, Professor,” he pleaded. “I can be back before dinner! I just want to see her!” Professor Sprout frowned, and opened her mouth to speak when.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright, Pomona,” they all turned to see Professor Dumbledore standing with Lupin a couple feet away. “Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory may visit Beth in the Hospital Wing, though if they wish to stay after dark, I would advise staying there for the night,” at the last statement, he eyed the two boys, who nodded eagerly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course!” Percy agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you so much, Professor!” Cedric beamed, and both boys turned and rushed out of the hall. Before they got very far, however, Percy turned back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to tell McGon-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will inform your head of house, Mr. Weasley,” Dumbledore spoke once more, a knowing smile on his face, and the boy’s shoulders sagged in relief before he ran with Cedric to the Hospital Wing.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Since then, if one was looking for Cedric or Percy, they just had to look for a pair of brown wings, usually outdoors. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was on the 7th of November, two days after the full moon, when Percy approached Cedric and Beth with a scowl on his face. They were sitting by the Black Lake, staring out across the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong, Perce?” Beth asked, passing a piece of jerky to the black dog sitting at her side. Both boys had grown accustomed to his presence whenever they were outdoors, since the dog seemed to have a sixth sense for when Beth was nearby. The dog’s tail wagged back and forth as he gently took the jerky from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bloody Ron,” Percy grumbled, plunking himself down between her and Cedric.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did he do?” Cedric asked, not raising his head from his notebook. He had been assigned a paper in Divination, and had begun his outline. Surprisingly, Cedric adored Divination and Professor Trilawney, so he was intently focused on his work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He got a detention in Defense Against the Dark Arts!” Percy threw his hands up in exasperation, and Beth’s eyebrows rose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lupin gave him a detention?” Cedric asked in surprise, and Beth shook her head as the black dog at her side snapped his head over to look at Cedric. She had noticed him do that whenever Lupin was mentioned, favorite professor perhaps?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s sick, Cedric,” she reminded him, and Cedric glanced over at her in puzzlement before nodding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” he muttered before returning his eyes to his notebook, scribbling something frantically. “Who then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Snape,” Percy said. “He was teaching about werewolves or something-” Beth tensed at this. “-and Ron asked why they weren’t continuing where they left off,” Beth’s brows furrowed, and she told herself she’d need to have a long talk with Snape after this. She pushed that aside for now, however, and turned to Percy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s hardly Ron’s fault then,” she said with a frown, and Percy sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” he muttered. “I just really want him to have a trouble free year,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate to break it to you, mate,” Cedric chuckled. “But his best friend is Harry Potter, no such thing as ‘trouble free’,” Percy groaned in frustration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fred and George are bad enough-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Beth cut him off. “I happen to like Fred and George!” Percy rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You like all my siblings, Beth,” he glared pointedly at her. “Especially Bill, if I remember right,” the seraph blushed brightly. She had harbored a bit of a crush towards the taller Weasley when he had attended Hogwarts with them. It was silly however, she was a first year when he was in his fifth, and he often teased her like a little sibling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” she muttered, and both Cedric and Percy laughed at her embarrassment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it that cold out here?” Percy mocked. “Your cheeks are bright pink!” Beth thwacked him upside the head for that comment. “Ow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t use my own lines against me, asshole,” she hissed at him, and the dog beside her huffed in what she had begun to recognize as laughter. One of her hands rose to absentmindedly stroke through the fur on his back, and the dog sagged into her happily. “Oof!” she gasped out when the dog leaned too hard on her, sending her onto her back with the dog resting on top of her shoulder and arm. “You’re heavy!” she giggled, shoving the dog off of her, and he licked her hand apologetically before she turned to see Cedric and Percy smirking at her. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Totally not your dog,” Cedric teased, and Beth rolled her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He isn't!” she insisted. “He’s more like my… friend,” she shrugged, not wanting to expose the animagus if he didn’t wish to be.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>That evening, after Beth had eaten dinner with Professor Lupin, she stormed her way to the dungeons, where she knew Professor Snape would still be toiling away, grading some papers or working on some potion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Snape!” she shouted as she burst through the doors of his classroom. Lo and behold, he sat behind his desk, scrawling some notes about a student’s paper which sat in front of him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, and the Professor sighed, scrawling down one last thing before standing and meeting her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And to what are you referring to?” he asked, and Beth’s eyes narrowed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know exactly what I’m referring to, you sabotaging bastard!” she hissed, and Snape rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” he muttered, turning to grab something from a cabinet. “You’re referring to the werewolf lesson, I presume?” Beth’s arms crossed over her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care what personal vendetta you have against Professor Lupin, but that is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> right!” she growled, and Snape raised his eyebrows as he turned back to her, sweeping past her and to a cauldron. “Teaching about werewolves, which weren’t even close to what those students </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> learning about, and so close to the full moon!? You’re giving them hints and that’s low even for you,” that got a reaction out of the stoic professor. He whipped around to face her, his black eyes glinting with a fire Beth couldn’t recognize.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d suggest you mind your own business, and your </span>
  <em>
    <span>tone</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he growled, and Beth scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-” Snape cut her off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t wish to discuss this,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have important work to do!” he furiously turned back around, switching on the burner under the cauldron.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go away, Bethanoveli,” he sighed, and Beth’s shoulders sagged at the use of her full name. Among seraphim, using one’s full name suggested that they were angry at them. While Beth was upset with Snape over the lesson he had taught today, the two usually had a begrudging respect for one another. Cedric had once commented that their “love hate relationship was super creepy” after Beth had pranked Snape in her fourth year, and not received any punishment. Of course, the week before this Snape had made one of her friends cry, so she thought to fix that. Snape deemed this retaliation just.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beth dragged her feet as she left his classroom, turning to look at him one last time once she opened the doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just please,” she sighed, and Snape’s eyes flicked up to meet hers curiously. “Don’t do something like that again, please,” his eyes widened at her plea, before he nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well, Beth” he acquiesced, and Beth smiled brightly at him before closing the door behind him. No bad blood.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Three days later, Beth was in Hagrid’s pumpkin patch, trying to lure a bowtruckle out of his hiding place. He had scurried away when Crookshanks, the cat belonging to Hermoine Granger, had ambled by, and Beth had been trying to find him ever since. She and Hagrid wanted to return him to his tree by nightfall, since the bowtruckles had agreed to let the students meet one today.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Knowing bowtruckles were skittish creatures, when the black dog went to follow her down to Hagrid’s hut as he usually did, she had stopped him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, but you can’t come with today,” she had smiled sadly at him, and he tilted his head in confusion. “You might scare some of the bowtruckles,” he whimpered a bit, looking up at her with pleading eyes, but Beth shook her head. “If you came out of your animagus form, you could come along,” the dog tensed, and she sighed. “It’s alright, obviously you don’t want me knowing who you are. I’ll see you around,” and with that she walked down to Hagrid’s hut, turning after a couple steps and seeing that the dog had begun to walk away, but had also stopped and was looking back at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the present, she was kneeling on the ground, looking under a rock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on,” she urged in a coo, looking around. “It’s okay, Crookshanks went away,” she said, and grinned when she saw a leaf poke out of a small hollow in a tree stump. She dove, and the bowtruckle squeaked as she gently tugged him up and placed him on her shoulder. “Gotcha!” she giggled, and the bowtruckle looked around curiously before allowing himself to sit on her shoulder, satisfied that the cat was no longer lurking about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was what most of her days consisted of. She split them between assisting Hagrid with Care of Magical Creatures, mainly preparing for the lessons, and assisting Professor Sprout in the greenhouse. She actually taught some of the first years occasionally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe it!” she heard a bunch of voices as they got closer, then headed off towards the castle. She turned to see the third year Slytherins and Gryffindors returning early from their lesson. She saw Harry, Hermoine, and Ron and ran over to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” she asked, and Hermoine scowled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Malfoy’s an idiot, that’s what happened!” she growled, and Beth smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a given at any time of day, but what specifically happened?” she pressed, and Harry explained it to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hagrid introduced us to Buckbeak, and he let me ride him, but Malfoy got jealous, and Buckbeak scratched his arm,” Beth’s eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh dear,” she murmured. “He deserves it, but yikes,” she cringed. “The fact that it was Malfoy has me worried,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Ron asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Malfoy’s have tremendous power in all sorts of circles, and I don’t think they’ll let Draco Malfoy getting hurt under Hagrid’s care slide,” she said, before looking towards the woods. “You all head back to the castle, okay? I need to speak with Hagrid,” they looked like they wanted to speak more, but nodded and walked up the hill to the castle a little behind the rest of their peers. Beth looked down at the bowtruckle on her shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang on,” she said to him, and he dutifully grabbed a hold of her collar. Most people thought that seraphim wearing sweaters was pointless, since they had large cutouts in the back for their wings, but a seraph’s back was oddly numb to sensation such as warm and cold, so it didn’t spread to the rest of their bodies. Beth unfurled her wings with a grin. Madame Pomfrey had taken off the immobilizing sash the day before, with instructions not to fly too much for a couple of weeks, and this would be her first time flying since the Halloween Incident. She flew up above the treetops, looking around and zeroing in on the half giant. His soul was like a beacon to her, some souls were like that. Usually very pure souls, who harbored very little ill will towards anybody, were very bright, and could bleed through solid objects, like trees. Tucking her wings close to herself, Beth dove through the canopy, releasing her wings at the last second when there were no branches she would get caught in, and gracefully glided to the ground a couple of feet away from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hagrid!” she called, walking up to him where he was stroking the feathers along Buckbeak’s neck. “I heard what happened,” she said, and the giant turned to her with a worried look on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What d’you reckon Malfoy’s goin to do?” he asked, and Beth shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I honestly don’t know,” she sighed, approaching Buckbeak after giving him a little bow. The hippogriff adored her, but she still deemed it necessary to show him the respect of bowing to him. He bowed his head back before nuzzling his beak against her cheek. The bowtruckle let out a squeak of alarm, and Buckbeak glanced down at the tiny wiggling twig on Beth’s shoulder. “It’s alright,” she cooed to the bowtruckle, placing him in the palm of her hand and raising him to Buckbeak’s face. “This is Buckbeak, he’s a friend,” the bowtruckle observed him for a moment before climbing back up Beth’s arm and to her shoulder. Beth giggled. “I should get him home,” she said, looking up at Hagrid. “You alright bringing Buckbeak back to the hut by yourself?” she asked, and Hagrid nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Course,” he confirmed, though Beth could see the troubled look had yet to leave his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Hagrid,” she said softly, bringing a hand to rest on his elbow, not really being able to reach much higher. He glanced down at her. “It’ll be alright,” he nodded, eyes flicking from her to Buckbeak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope so,” he muttered, before making his way back to the hut. “Come on, Buckbeak,” he called over his shoulder, and the hippogriff gave Beth a last affectionate nuzzle before following behind his friend and master. Beth turned in the opposite direction and began to walk towards the grove where the bowtruckle’s tree was located. It wasn’t much of a walk, and within a couple of minutes they had reached the bowtruckle’s tree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There you are,” she muttered, depositing the bowtruckle on one of the branches, seeing a couple of his clan peak out from behind branches at her. “Thank you for coming with me today,” she said, and the bowtruckle squeaked up at her happily. “I hope to see you again,” the bowtruckle grabbed her finger and gave it a hug before releasing her, and Beth giggled before turning away. The forest was much denser here, and she decided she should walk back, not wanting to risk getting her wings caught in the branches and injuring them again. Especially so far from anybody else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Beth was walking, she heard a rustling. She didn’t let it spook her, and kept walking. It was a forest, after all. She did, however, remain vigilant. She heard the same rustling around a minute later, though this time it sounded much closer to her. The sun was setting, and Beth felt as though she was being hunted. When she looked around, she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, couldn’t hear anything, but when she started moving again she heard the rustling, growing ever closer. She readied her wand, continuing to walk, hoping she could make it out of the forest before whatever it was decided to pounce. Her wings puffed up as she tried to make herself appear bigger and more menacing, and they extended further when she heard a low growling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck,” she muttered, picking up her pace, though apparently whatever was following her didn’t like that, as the growling got louder and louder until-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No sound was heard except for the rustling branches and the crunching leaves under Beth’s feet. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and Beth sprinted the rest of the way to Hagrid’s hut, pushing her legs as hard as she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she burst through the trees, she didn’t stop, running straight into Hagrid’s hut and slamming the door behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blimey, Beth, what’s the matter with you?” Hagrid asked in surprise as he eyed her panting figure collapse against the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” she got out between pants. “Something spooked me in the forest,” Hagrid eyed her, but nodded and didn’t press further.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s why you shouldn’t go in there by ‘erself,” he said, pointing the spoon with which he was stirring a pot of something over the fire with at her. “You could always take Fang with ya, that mangy mutt loves ya,” the dog’s ears perked up at his name, and his tail thumped a couple of times on the floor. Beth smiled at him, leaning down to give him a couple of pats before straightening and shaking her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No thanks, Hagrid,” she didn’t bother mentioning that she usually wasn’t alone in the forest. More often than not the black dog accompanied her, despite her best efforts to persuade him that he’d get in trouble if he got caught. She had special permission to go in the forest, but most other students didn’t. She had found herself just speaking to him, despite the fact that he never spoke back, never revealed anything about who he was. She would just rant to him, or sometimes she’d ask him yes or no questions so he could at least be somehow involved in the conversation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was nice. Especially since his animagus was a big black dog. If he had been something like a weasel, or a rat, Beth might have been more adamant on him staying behind, but instead he made her feel safer as she carried out her errands for Hagrid in the forest.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was nearing the end of November when Percy and Cedric cornered Beth in the courtyard outside the Great Hall right before dinner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Cedric asked, and Beth looked down at her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” she assured him, her wings twitching slightly in an unfortunate tell that she was lying. “Nothing’s wrong,” Cedric and Percy shared dubious looks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously something’s wrong,” Percy pressed. “You’ve been terribly skittish recently,” Beth shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing,” she said again, a bit more forcefully, and ducked past them and the Great Hall before they could try to press further. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked to the middle of the hall and sat at the Hufflepuff table, quickly filling her plate with a roll and some chicken. Cedric sat himself down on her left side, while Percy sat on her right. He did get a couple of looks for this, being a Gryffindor prefect and all, but he ignored them in favor of trying to help Beth. Or at least figure out what was wrong with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we please not talk about it?” Beth cut Cedric off, and both her friends’ eyes widened at how small and tired she sounded. Her wings were folded as close to her body as they could get, and her shoulders were hunched. Not only did she </span>
  <em>
    <span>sound</span>
  </em>
  <span> small and vulnerable, but her entire posture made her seem smaller.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Percy sighed, throwing an arm around Beth’s shoulders in a rare display of affection from him. He squeezed her lightly before pulling away. She gave him a small thankful smile before returning to her food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As a group of rambunctious seventh year Gryffindors passed, Beth startled with a squeak, her back straightening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Cedric asked as her wings twitched once again, and Beth shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a chill,” she dismissed, and once again it was obvious that neither Percy or Cedric believed her, but they let it slide. Hopefully, she would come to them when she was ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile one of the boys who had passed by with the rest of his classmates smirked to himself, pocketing a brown feather.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It was on the 2nd of December, the day after the full moon, that somebody finally found out why Beth had seemingly shut down over the past month.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Professor Lupin?” she called as she opened the door to his rooms. After her first time bringing him dinner, he had told her she should just come in, since moving about was always very difficult for him in the following days. “I brought dinner!” she said, placing the two plates full of spaghetti (she maybe had snuck into the kitchens and asked the house elves very nicely to make it) down on a small table across the room from his bed. The poor lycanthrope was upright, at least, but looked absolutely miserable as he sat on his bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Beth, dear,” he greeted with a tired smile, and she returned it. He motioned her over, and Beth picked up one of the plates, gently placing it on his lap and giving him silverware. “Thank you,” he said, his smile widening a bit, and she nodded, going back to grab her own before pulling up a chair to sit next to his bedside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are the nightmares better, at least?” she asked, motioning to her dreamcatcher that hung over his bed, and the professor nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Much,” he told her sincerely. “Thank you,” Beth beamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course!” she chirped before twirling her fork around and taking a bite of spaghetti. She moaned a bit at the taste. “Oh it’s been so long,” she groaned, and Lupin raised his eyebrows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t even know spaghetti was ever an option,” he said, taking a bite of his own dinner, and Beth looked up at him shyly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you need to give me a detention if I told you I snuck into the kitchens for it?” she asked, biting her lip lightly, and Lupin chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Given that you’re sharing with me, my dear, I think I can let it slide,” he assured her, before glancing at the awkward way she had to hold her legs so her plate wouldn’t fall with furrowed brows. He patted the bed next to him invitingly. “You can come sit up here, if you’d like,” he offered, averting his gaze as he cleared his throat, and Beth blushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” she murmured. “Thanks,” she awkwardly stood, gently sitting on the very edge of the bed. She began to eat once more, and Professor Lupin gasped loudly. Her head snapped around to look at him, concerned. “Are you alright?” she asked, eyes scanning him frantically looking for any harm, but he shook his head quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beth,” he muttered. “Why is there a bald spot on your wing?” he asked, and Beth blushed, looking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s… uh…” she stammered, trying to come up with an excuse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beth,” Lupin pressed, and she sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A boy has been… uh… plucking my feathers,” she muttered, gaze cast down into her lap. Professor Lupin reached over to her, grabbing one of her hands and pulling her to face him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who?” he asked, and Beth shrugged, looking away. “Who?” he repeated, more forceful, and Beth whimpered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“His name is Ivan Grant,” she whispered, and Lupin’s eyes hardened at the sight of a tear leaking out of the corner of her eye. “I tried… I tried to tell him,” she continued, and Lupin squeezed her hand reassuringly. “I tried to tell him that only mates could touch a seraph’s wings, it’s intimate…” a sob bubbled out of her throat and she tried to turn away again, but Lupin quickly put both their plates to the side and in a surprising show of strength given his current condition pulled Beth into his chest. “It’s intimate,” she repeated, and Lupin raised a hand to stroke through her hair gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” he murmured. “He won’t touch you again,” he told her, and Beth looked up at him warily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going to happen?” she asked, and Remus looked down at her with furrowed brows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to tell Dumbledore, of course, and he will likely be kicked out,” he told her, and Beth gasped before throwing her arms around him, squeezing as gently as she could in her emotional state.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Professor Lupin,” she murmured into his chest, and Lupin chuckled softly, hugging her a little tighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think, after what we’ve been through,” he began. “You can call me Remus,”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The next day, Ivan Grant was called down to Dumbledore’s office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, Mr. Grant,” the Headmaster greeted, though the soft smile he usually had on his face was nowhere to be seen. “Come in,” Ivan nodded, making his way through the office and sat down across the desk from Dumbledore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it, Professor?” he asked, and Dumbledore’s eyes narrowed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It has come to my attention that you have been plucking Bethanoveli’s feathers,” he said, and Ivan’s eyes widened as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he asked, averting his gaze and playing dumb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are aware that a seraph’s wings are intimate, correct?” Dumbledore pressed, and Ivan shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! I had no idea!” he argued, but Dumbledore shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beth showed me,” he said, gesturing towards the Pensieve which sat to the side. Ivan gulped, realizing that he was made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To the seraphim, touching one’s wings without explicit permission can be considered sexual assault,” Dumbledore said, and Ivan’s eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Professor, I-I was just joking around-” he stammered, trying to explain himself, but Dumbledore shook his head and held up a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Due to the severity of your actions, I will be sending you home,” Dumbledore said, and Ivan shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Professor, I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are expelled from Hogwarts, and I will be informing the Ministry of your actions against Bethanoveli,” he continued, and Ivan’s face crumpled further.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Professor-” Dumbledore held up a hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr. Grant, please go pack your belongings and see Professor McGonagall when you are done,” he said with an air of finality in his voice, and Ivan took in a deep breath, his jaw quivering as he held in tears. He nodded, and turned to leave Dumbledore’s office.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>By that evening, word had spread around the whole school.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell us?” Beth sat in the courtyard with Percy and Cedric. She shrugged meekly, avoiding both of her friends’ gazes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” she mumbled, and they each wrapped an arm around her. Cedric rubbed up and down her arm comfortingly, while Percy gently led her to rest her head on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright, we’re not upset with you,” the redhead reassured her. “At least it’s over now,” Beth nodded against his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, a barrage of whispers swept through the courtyard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“McGonagall looks right cross,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you blame her?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait he’s actually been expelled?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio turned their heads to see Ivan dragging his trunk behind him with a scowl on his face. His eyes were downcast, refusing to meet anyone’s eye, and the crowd at the edges of the courtyard grew. Beth shrunk further into Cedric and Percy, tucking her wings in closer to her body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean for it to be a big deal,” she muttered, but Cedric shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well it is a big deal, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> did that to you,” Cedric stressed the </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> to try to make sure Beth wouldn’t blame herself for anything. She had no reason to feel guilty in any of this. All of a sudden gasps surrounded them. They all looked up just in time to see a big black dog run at Ivan. Beth stood, immediately recognizing the dog and his soul, gaping as the dog swiped at the 7th year, giving him a bite to his calf, before running away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone in the courtyard stood frozen while Ivan crumpled to the ground, letting out a shout of pain. Nobody moved for a moment, unsure if that had actually happened, but McGonagall soon stepped forward and cast a quick charm on Ivan’s leg. His face immediately smoothed over, and the Gryffindor head of house assisted him in limping the rest of the way out of the castle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beth, Cedric, and Percy all exchanged looks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell was that?” Cedric demanded, and Beth shook her head, at a loss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no clue!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the dog that always hangs around you!” Percy pointed out. “Did you tell him to do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Beth gasped, looking at Percy in shock before adamantly shaking her head. “No! Of course not! I don’t have any control over him!” Percy and Cedric exchanged worried glances, but nodded. “Do you not believe me?” Cedric was quick to deny this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course we believe you!” he soothed her, squeezing the arm that was still around her shoulder. “It’s just… odd-the dog, I mean,” Percy nodded in agreement, and Beth shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I don’t know what to tell you,” she worried glanced in the direction he had run off in.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Professor Lupin watched the entire exchange from a different viewpoint. He happened to be crossing the courtyard when Ivan was brought through with his trunk, and a proud little smirk came to his face as the boy was escorted out. It disappeared, however, when a familiar black dog came seemingly out of nowhere to bite the boy. The surprised gasps of the students filled the air of the courtyard, and everyone stood frozen as the dog ran off. Remus, as subtle as he could, slipped off to follow the dog. As soon as he was out of sight of the courtyard, he began to run after the dog, pulling his wand out of his coat pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sirius!” he hissed, not wanting to raise his voice and worry the students or any passing staff. “Padfoot!” he called, and to his surprise as he rounded the corner Sirius’ huge dog animagus sat right in front of him. Remus pointed the wand at his old friend. “Come with me,” he said, and the dog stood, docile, and began to follow Remus to his office. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” Remus glowered as he opened the door, the dog trotting in and up the stairs. Remus followed him, and as soon as he closed the door to his office, there was a scruffy looking man standing in front of him. A few wisps of grey hair tangled with primarily dark brown, and piercing blue eyes looked at him from an unshaven face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Mooney,” Sirius grinned. Remus punched him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've had this chapter finished for a while but I've been trying to keep one chapter ahead. I'm halfway through the next chapter so here you go.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Beth was on her way to Professor Lupin-Remus’ office. A small smile came onto her face as she corrected herself. She wanted to thank him again for taking care of Ivan and everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was sidetracked, however, when she heard deep sobs coming from further down one of the corridors she passed. She stopped, and quickly turned to follow the sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” she called, and was surprised to see Hagrid sitting on a bench, holding a large ratty handkerchief to his face. “Hagrid?” he looked up as she called his name, tears still running down his face and into his beard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beth,” he weakly called back, and she quickly made her way over to him, sitting next to him on the bench.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” she asked. “What happened?” Hagrid sighed heavily, wiping his eyes with the handkerchief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s bloody Malfoy,” he muttered. “He’s going after Buckbeak,” Beth frowned deeply, raising a hand to place it on his arm comfortingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In what way?” she asked. “What does he want?” Hagrid didn’t answer for a moment, a loud sob bubbling up and out of his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He wants Buckbeak executed,” he wailed, and Beth leaned further into Hagrid, trying to provide some comfort. “The way muggles put down animals that hurt people,” Beth’s brows pinched together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But they can’t blame Buckbeak for Malfoy getting injured!” she argued. “He’s the one who provoked Buckbeak! And you told him to stop!” Hagrid shook his head sadly, giving Beth a look. It was the look of someone who completely agreed, but knew that there was nothing that could be done. Someone who had been wronged by the ministry and the system too many times to believe that they would actually do the right thing for once. Beth wished she had the naivety of some others her age, the innocence required to believe that the ministry would do the right thing and see that Buckbeak was not to blame for Malfoy’s minor injury. And it really was a minor injury, his arm was in a sling, for Merlin’s sake, it wasn’t as if he was comatose or had forgotten his own name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t matter,” he said gruffly. “Not when Lucius Malfoy’s involved,” Beth sighed, unsure what else to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Hagrid,” she muttered, and he nodded, blowing his nose into the handkerchief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he sniffled, pocketing the handkerchief. “I am too,” with that he stood and began making his way back down the corridor, probably to return to his hut. Beth called after him worriedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hagrid!” he stopped and turned back to look at her. “Will you be alright?” she asked, and he nodded his head a couple of times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he waved a hand at her, as if to show that it wasn’t a big deal. They both knew that it was, in fact, a very big deal. “Yeah,” he repeated, much quieter, as if he was trying to convince himself. He turned again, and began to walk away once more. Beth sighed as he turned the corner and was out of sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poor Buckbeak,” she murmured.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right now,” Remus growled at Sirius. The man </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>have a smile on his face, right up until Remus punched him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I’m innocent!” Sirius exclaimed. Remus rose his wand this time instead of his fist, pointing it at the supposed double-crosser with a look of fury. “I can prove it!” Remus snarled at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?” he demanded, pressing his wand into the hollow of Sirius’ throat. “How do you intend to prove it?” Sirius took a deep breath, craning his neck up as if putting some distance between himself and Remus’ wand would be of any help should the werewolf decide to loose a spell..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pettigrew’s alive,” he said, and this gave Remus pause.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He cut off his own finger, Remus!” Sirius shouted, a crazed look in his eyes after not being believed in Azkaban for so long. “He was the secret keeper! He betrayed James and Lily!” Remus was shaking his head. “He killed all those people!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re lying!” Remus roared, but Sirius shook his head, taking another deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have the map?” he asked, deathly calm, and Remus paused, his head tilting in confusion. “Remus, do you have the map?” Sirius repeated, and the werewolf cautiously went over to his desk, pulling out the Marauder’s Map, which he had confiscated from Harry a few weeks prior, from a drawer. “I can show you,” Sirius said, his eyes begging his old friend to trust him as he extended his hand for the map. Hesitantly and ever so cautiously, Remus handed the folded paper up to him. Sirius waved his hands, showing they were empty. “I don’t have a wand,” he muttered, seeming almost embarrassed to admit it, and Remus sighed, pointing his own wand at the map. He should have expected as much, to be honest, there was no way for Sirius to have gotten a wand since escaping Azkaban unless he stole one. And of all the things in any witch or wizards’ possession, their wand was their most valued, their most protected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I solemnly swear I am up to no good,” he intoned, and the winding corridors of Hogwarts began to reveal themselves. Sirius began to unfold the map, searching and searching until-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah hah!” he shouted, pointing at a specific name on the map. Remus looked over and gasped at the name written next to two little footprints.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Peter Pettigrew</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s alive,” Remus breathed out, and Sirius nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” he breathed out, relief in his voice. “Yes! You see?” Remus nodded carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Sirius-” he cut himself off to take a deep breath. “What do we do now?” Sirius’ eyes darkened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We take out Pettigrew,” he said darkly, and Remus knew that this was not the man he had known all through his school years. He had been changed by his 12 years in Azkaban, suffering for a crime he hadn’t even committed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Surely there are other ways,” Remus tried, pointlessly. “We could take this to the ministry, prove your innocence,” Sirius scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They wouldn’t do a thing,” he said. “Except throw me back in Azkaban,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But this is proof!” Remus exclaimed, and Sirius shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They don’t care about </span>
  <em>
    <span>proof</span>
  </em>
  <span> Remus!” he shot back. “They ‘solved’ the case 12 years ago, put me in prison, painted me as a deranged criminal, and that was that! They would never let it get out that they imprisoned the </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span> man! That I’m not deranged and a mass murderer!” Suddenly, Sirius appeared to lose all his energy. His shoulders sagged, and he took a deep breath. “We can’t go to the ministry, please,” he widened his eyes at his friend, begging him, and Remus nodded, breathing out a heavy sigh. This was more than just going to McGonagall after a prank gone wrong when they were teenagers. They couldn’t trust the authorities for help this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” he groaned, walking over and collapsing in the chair behind his desk. “How do we get to Pettigrew?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s a rat,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Remus sighed. “But how do we </span>
  <em>
    <span>get </span>
  </em>
  <span>to him?” Sirius shook his head in exasperation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, he’s in his animagus form, he is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>literal</span>
  </em>
  <span> rat,” he explained. “I believe Weasley calls him Scabbers,” Remus’ eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s Ronald Weasley’s pet rat?” he asked, and Sirius nodded. Before they could continue their discussion, however, there was a knock on the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remus?” it was Beth. Remus and Sirius exchanged looks, before Sirius was back to being a large black dog.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One moment, Beth,” Remus called, trying to shoo Padfoot away. But the dog shook his head, staying sitting right where he was in the middle of Remus’ office. The professor let out a loud sigh. “Fine,” he muttered. “Come in!” he called, and Beth opened the door to his office, walking in. She started when she saw the large black dog in the office as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hello,” she greeted, digging around in her pocket for a piece of jerky. The dog trotted up to her and gently took it from her hand, happily accepting her scritch behind his ears. “I wasn’t aware you had company,” she said to Remus, and he scowled, before straightening his face out again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Company?” he asked. It was interesting wording to use to describe a dog. Beth shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know how I said I can determine what people are through their souls?” she reminded him, and Remus’ eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know he’s an animagus?” he asked, and Beth nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” she scowled down at the dog. “You shouldn’t have bit Ivan, you know,” the dog let out a growl at the name. Remus sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know who he is?” he asked, and Beth shook her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure he’s a student, probably seventh year since he seems full grown,” she said, and Remus sighed once more, glaring at Padfoot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should tell her who you are,” he said, and the dog huffed. “Padfoot,” there was a warning in his voice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You tell her or I will</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The dog huffed once more, before backing away from Beth. Then suddenly an older man was standing in front of her, a grin on his face and a twinkle in his clear blue eyes as he tilted his head down to meet her own. She recognized the man of course, and let out a soft gasp of surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really thought you were a student,” she muttered, squinting her eyes and leaning forward to look closer at him. “Not Sirius Black,” Remus’ eyes widened as she actually stepped closer to the escaped prisoner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not afraid?” Remus asked, at the same time as Sirius asked his own question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why aren’t you screaming?” well, that was one way to put it. Beth shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I can see that you’re innocent,” she said, and both men did a double take.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Sirius muttered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your soul,” she explained. “You’ve never killed anyone in cold blood. I mean, there’s a darkness there, but it seems more circumstantial than from your own actions,” both of the men were staring at her with wide eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Remus asked, and she walked over to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me your hand,” she said, extending her own to him. He did, looking up at her in question. He gasped when he saw a pure white glow surrounding her. He immediately let go of her hand, the glow disappearing with their contact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” he asked, and Beth smiled softly at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My soul,” she shook her hand, beckoning for him to take it again, and after a deep breath, he grabbed her hand and looked at Sirius. “So the best way to describe a soul is things from the top are their own actions,” she said, and Remus saw a bit of a grey haze around Sirius’ head. There were tinges of red. “The red you see is vengeance,” she explained. “Since it is just around his head, and hasn’t dripped down, you can tell he hasn’t acted on it yet,” Sirius was looking between the two of them, a bit confused as they both stared intently at him, studying him. “From the ground is his circumstances,” she pointed to his feet, where there was a puddle of red and dark grey. “That red is bloodshed, but when bloodshed is around someone’s feet, it means they were a witness to it instead of the cause,” she let go of Remus’ hand, and suddenly he was looking at plain old Sirius again. He looked up at Beth in awe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you always see that,” Beth nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t just turn it off and on,” she giggled, and Sirius stepped forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can somebody explain what just happened?” he asked, and Beth giggled again, stepping towards him and extending her hand. Sirius eyed in cautiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on,” she encouraged him, and after another moment’s hesitation Sirius placed his rough hand in her own smaller, softer one. He gasped when he saw the same pure white glow Remus had emanating from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s your soul?” he asked, and Beth nodded. “Amazing,” he muttered, leaning in to look closer, and her cheeks flushed slightly. She let go of his hand, and the glow disappeared. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you alright with all this?” Remus blurted out, and Beth shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, he did save me,” she said, causing both Remus and Sirius to look at her quizzically. She turned to Sirius, raising her eyebrows. “I know it was you who saved me in the Forbidden Forest, wasn’t it?” she asked, though it was more of a statement than a question, and Sirius’ eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Remus asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There was a feral wolf,” Sirius explained to him. “It was following Beth, and I took it out,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for that, by the way,” the seraph muttered, and he smiled softly at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Remus held up a hand, sending a glare towards Sirius. “You were following her around?” he asked, and Sirius shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only when she went into the woods,” he said defensively, and Beth giggled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or when you wanted company,” Remus’ eyes widened at how casually okay she was with the whole situation. “Why do you think I carry jerky around in my pocket?” she directed to Remus, who blinked. That would explain it. He had never seen </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> eating it, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well now I have Mooney for company,” Sirius said with a grin, and Remus’ eyes widened as the charm he had possessed in school returned full force. Beth’s eyes widened for an entirely different reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mooney?” she asked, and Sirius nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh didn’t you know?” he asked. “Remus and I were best friends in school!” her eyes widened, and she looked between the pair skeptically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Remus nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sirius, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and I were called the ‘marauders’ around Hogwarts in our time,” he said, and Beth giggled at the name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The marauders?” she asked. “That’s cute,” Remus scowled at the word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We all had nicknames,” Sirius told her. “I was Padfoot, Remus was Mooney, James was Prongs, and Pettigrew was Wormtail,” he explained, and Beth raised her eyebrows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’m assuming Pettigrew’s animagus form was a rat or something,” she said, and Sirius nodded in confirmation. Then her face pinched. “But what was James Potter’s?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A stag,” Sirius grinned at the memory of running through the Forbidden Forest with James.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Beth,” Remus called as the seraph went to leave his office around an hour later. She turned in the doorway to look back at him and Sirius.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I trust I don’t need to tell you that this needs to be our little secret?” he raised his eyebrows, and Beth nodded with a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” she confirmed, before opening the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight,” she bade the pair, before closing the door behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight,” they both murmured after her, staring at the closed door a bit too long before they turned to look back at one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good god Mooney,” Sirius groaned, slumping back into the chair he was in. “This might be a problem,” Remus ran a hand down his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? The fact that she knows or the fact that we both unfortunately still have the same taste in women?” he asked, and Sirius and him had a tense staredown before they finally broke. Sirius snorted, and soon they were both tearing off into peels of laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you, Mooney,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you too, Padfoot,” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> It was December, and Beth was walking to Hogsmeade with Cedric, Percy, and Padfoot trailing slightly behind them. The snow was coming down a bit harder than would be considered pleasant, but they were all just happy to be out of the castle.<br/> “You sure you don’t want to come get butterbeers with us?” Cedric tried once more, and Beth shook her head.<br/> “Yeah, I have some errands to run,” she said. “Padfoot’s keeping me company,” Percy’s brows furrowed.<br/> “You finally named the dog?” he asked, and Beth scowled, opening her mouth to reply, but Cedric snorted.<br/> “Sure, he’s not your dog,” <br/> “He’s not!” Beth pouted, stomping her foot, and both boys chuckled a bit at her. Cedric shrugged, throwing an arm around Percy’s shoulder.<br/> “Guess it’s just you and me then, Perce,” Percy scowled, shrugging Cedric’s arm off of his shoulders.<br/> “Wonderful,” he grumbled, though both Cedric and Beth knew that he wasn’t actually put out at all. <br/> They reached the Three Broomsticks a little later, and Beth waved to the two boys as they went in. Once the door closed behind them, she turned to Padfoot.<br/> “Let’s get you some clothes,” she said, marching her way to a random apparel store. The bell jingled above the door as they walked in, and the shopkeep gave them a scowl when she saw Padfoot, but otherwise said nothing. Beth gave the shopkeep a smile before making her way towards the men’s apparel section. The first thing she grabbed was a light brown overcoat, which she held up for Padfoot to see. He grumbled, shaking his head, and Beth frowned. “Well what do you want?” she asked, and he nosed through the coats until he found a black one in the same style. He nudged it until Beth took it off the rack, replacing the brown one. “Do you think this is the right size?” she asked, holding it up again and glaring at it, as if trying to imagine it on Sirius. The dog nodded, and she grinned, throwing it over her arm and walking to where a couple button up shirts were. “Some of these?” she asked, and Padfoot nodded. Beth matched the sizes with the coat, holding up the different colors for Padfoot’s approval before adding them to the pile. They walked over to the pants next, and Beth scowled, looking at the different sizes.<br/> “This might be a bit more difficult,” she muttered, going through some of the pants. Padfoot grunted for her attention, and Beth looked down at him. “What?” she asked, and moved his paw in a deliberate motion on the floor. Beth’s face pinched together in confusion. “Huh?” Padfoot made the motion again, and Beth squinted at it. “M?” she asked, and Padfoot nodded. “Ohhhh that’s your size?” again he nodded.</p><hr/><p> A little less than a half hour later Beth and Padfoot exited the store with two large bags full of clothes for Sirius.<br/> “You sure you don’t want new boots?” she asked, again, as they exited the store, and Padfoot snorted, shaking his head. “Okay,” she sighed. “Back to the castle then,” she said, and Padfoot made a whimpering noise. “What?” she asked, confusion etched on her face, and Padfoot trotted a bit ahead of her before jerking his head to the side, as if to say: <em>Follow me!</em> Beth sighed, but nodded and began to follow him as he led her through Hogsmeade and off onto a familiar trail.<br/> “Are you taking me to the Shrieking Shack?” Beth asked, and Padfoot, paused and waited for her to catch up before nodding. Beth grinned. “You won’t mind if I stretch my wings a bit would you?” she asked him, and Padfoot paused, his fur standing on end. “What?” Beth pouted slightly, and Padfoot huffed. He looked around, scanning the area, before suddenly Sirius stood in front of Beth.<br/> “You’re sure you’ll be alright?” he asked, a look of concern etched on his face, and Beth jumped in surprise, her eyes widening. She still wasn’t used to his transforming.<br/> “Uh… yeah,” she nodded, and Sirius gave her a soft grin.<br/> “Alright then,” he nodded, before grabbing one of the bags from her and beginning to walk by her side.<br/> “You’re sure it’s alright for you to be… you?” Beth asked with a grimace, and Sirius chuckled.<br/> “It’ll be fine,” he assured her. “I’ve gotten used to transforming quickly, anyhow,” Beth frowned, but didn’t question him as they continued to walk side by side to the Shrieking Shack. It was his own hide he was putting on the line, after all.<br/> They walked in silence for most of the way, and it wasn’t until the outlook was almost in sight that Sirius tensed, his arm stretching out in front of Beth to stop her from moving forward anymore.<br/> “What?” she asked, and he raised a finger to his lips before tilting his head to the side, as if listening for something. Beth strained her ears, trying to hear whatever he was hearing.<br/> Crunch. Crunch. It was the crunching of snow under boots. Beth’s eyes widened as she whipped around, trying to figure out where the footsteps were coming from. When she turned back to Sirius he was back to being a large black dog. Beth sighed, looking around once more, and her eyes widened when she caught sight of a tattered brown coat.<br/> “Pro- Remus!” she called out to him, waving, and he looked up from where he had been staring at the ground in surprise.<br/> “Ah! Beth!” he called back, speed walking to reach her. “Sirius,” he nodded behind her, and Beth glanced over her shoulder, seeing the wizard back in his human form.<br/> “Remus,” he greeted back with a smile. “We were just heading to the Shrieking Shack, care to join us?” he asked, and Remus looked around before shrugging and nodding.<br/> “Of course,” he agreed, beginning to walk to the outlook, and Beth and Sirius followed suit. The two men flanked the seraph as they walked down the path.<br/> “So…” Beth started, a slight flush on her cheeks. She was thankful she had the cold to blame it on.<br/> “So…?” Sirius responded, a cheeky grin on his face, and Beth rolled her eyes, bumping her hip against his to try to throw him off balance. He barely stumbled, being so much taller than her.<br/> “You told me you two were in a group called the marauders,” the two men nodded. “Why were you called that?” Remus coughed a bit, seeming almost embarrassed as he answered.<br/> “We were the pranksters,” he told her. “Very much the equivalent to Fred and George Weasley now,” Beth giggled, looking between them.<br/> “I could see Sirius,” she said, before eyeing Remus. “But you were a prankster?!” Sirius chuckled.<br/> “He mostly just read his books and cooked us potions for the pranks when we needed them,” he explained, and Beth raised her eyebrows.<br/> “You’re good at potions too?” she asked, and Remus shrugged.<br/> “Better than the rest of the marauders does <em>not</em> mean that I’m actually <em>good</em> at potions,” he told her, and Beth turned to Sirius.<br/> “How bad are the rest of you at potions, then?” she asked, and it was Sirius’ turn to look sheepish. He cleared his throat.<br/> “I almost didn’t graduate, my marks were so terrible in potions. James had to take double potions his final year because he failed 6th year potions so badly, and Pettigrew…” he grimaced.<br/> “Pettigrew stayed an extra year at Hogwarts,” Remus finished for him, and Beth grimaced.<br/> “Oh my,” she shuddered. “If he wasn’t such a terrible person I’d feel bad for him,” Remus and Sirius let out weak chuckles.<br/> “We did, at the time,” Remus said, and Sirius nodded with him.</p><hr/><p> They reached the shrieking shack outlook not two minutes later, and Beth grinned as she stretched out her wings, giving them a little ruffle before launching herself into the air.<br/> “Be careful!” Remus called after her as she began to make her way to the shack. He and Sirius just heard a gleeful laugh in return.<br/> Her brown wings made a stark contrast against the snowy landscape, and Sirius brushed off some stones, setting himself down on one as Remus sat on another.<br/> “Ever met a seraph before her, Moony?” he asked, and Remus shook his head.<br/> “I can’t say I ever have, no,” he denied, before looking to Sirius. “Have you?” Sirius shook his head.<br/> “No,” he said simply, head turning to observe Beth as she flew. Remus did the same, smiling slightly when she did a loop-de-loop, her muddy brown wings going close to her body before spreading out and allowing her to just glide. “Are they all that small?” he asked, and Remus’ face scrunched in thought.<br/> “I don’t think so,” he shook his head. “From what I had read, seraphim are slightly taller than humans on average,” Sirius hummed in confusion.<br/> “Really?” he asked, and Remus nodded.<br/> “She’s half fairy, actually,” he said, and Sirius’ eyes widened.<br/> “What?” Remus nodded.<br/> “She made me a dream catcher the first full moon of the year, to help with the nightmares,” he explained. “Apparently fairies can give people good dreams through proximity,” Sirius’ eyes widened further.<br/> “That’s amazing!” he exclaimed, and Remus nodded with a small smile.<br/> “It is,” they had momentarily looked away from Beth to look at each other while they were speaking, and were surprised when, with a slight gust of wind, Beth landed right in front of them.<br/> “Oh that was so nice!” she exclaimed, ruffling her wings once more before plopping herself down on one of the rocks Sirius had brushed off. “I don’t get to fly enough,” They stayed silent, just smiling at her, and her grin faded a bit to a hesitant smile. “What?” she asked, and Sirius was the first to shake his head and stop staring at her.<br/> “Remus was just telling me about your half-fairy heritage,” he said, and Beth grinned shyly.<br/> “Oh,” she mumbled. “It’s cuz I’m so short, that’s what gave it away I wasn’t a full seraph, right?” Sirius chuckled, but nodded.<br/> “It is,” he confirmed, and Beth pouted, though Remus was quick to step in and try to rectify the sour expression forming on her face.<br/> “Not that there’s anything wrong with that!” he said, and Beth shrugged.<br/> “It is when everyone in my tribe is over half a foot taller than me,” Remus’ brows raised in surprise.<br/> “Really? That much?” she nodded, pout still set on her face. <br/> “Doesn’t mean I don’t kick their asses at <em>Snittywig</em>,” she grumbled, and both Remus and Sirius’ expression scrunched up in confusion.<br/> “<em>Snittywig</em>?” Sirius echoed, and Beth nodded, giggling.<br/> “It’s our equivalent of quidditch,” she told him, spreading her hands out. Her brows furrowed together in concentration as a blue light crackled between her hands, slowly expanding as she breathed deeply. She ran her hands over it a couple of times, smoothing out the edges, before presenting it to the two wizards. “We use a ball like this, and the objective is to hold it for 9 seconds, giving you a point,” she explained, and Sirius and Remus exchanged wide eyed looks, before Remus reached for the ball.<br/> “May I?” he asked, and Beth nodded, passing him the ball.<br/> “We play in the air, like quidditch, but there’s a lot more grappling,” she said.<br/> “What if one of you falls?” Sirius asked, and Beth shrugged.<br/> “You straighten out,” she explained, but before Sirius could question what exactly that meant, Remus was gasping.<br/> “Oh my!” he exclaimed, and Beth looked over to see the ball was almost completely red.<br/> “What did you do, Moony?” Sirius demanded as the ball turned a solid red, and Beth giggled as she took it back.<br/> “You didn’t expect us to actually <em>count</em> to nine while holding the ball, did you?” she asked teasingly, concentrating on the ball for a moment to turn it back to a pretty blue color. “Too much room for cheating,” she explained. “When the ball is completely red, nine seconds has passed, and the holder usually shouts ‘POINT’ to announce such,” Remus and Sirius exchanged glances again.<br/> “That’s quite a complex magical construct to just form with your hands like that,” Remus said, and Beth shrugged.<br/> “Not for seraphs,” she said, before waving her hands. “I mean, most constructs would take us a long time, but historically these balls were used to signal that muggles or enemies were near,” she explained. “We would have two identical, and in professional matches there are two, and they change color with each other. So a ball would be kept with the scout, and if they saw anything, they would hold the ball, and the connected one back at the tribe would turn red as well,”<br/> “And has it always been nine seconds?” Remus asked, and Beth shook her head.<br/> “It was originally just three, but for the game we stretched it out to nine,” she explained. “Making that ball has almost become instinctual for us,” she told him, grabbing the ball and breathing in deeply, causing the ball to dissolve into glitter-like dust that seemed to be absorbed into her body. <br/> “Amazing,” Remus muttered, and Sirius nodded in agreement.<br/> “What did you mean by straightening out, earlier?” Sirius asked, and Beth smiled, standing and walking over to the edge of the outlook.<br/> “I’ll show you,” she said before flapping her wings and shooting herself up into the air. Remus and Sirius watched as she went higher and higher up, to the point where they had to squint their eyes to see her.<br/> “What’s she doing?” Sirius asked, and both men let out a worried shout when suddenly her wings stopped flapping, and she began to rocket back towards the ground, wings flailing uselessly around her. Remus pulled out his wand, wary, while Sirius watched helplessly. Both men relaxed a little when they heard Beth’s gleeful laughter, and just as she was about to hit the ground, her wings flew out at her side, and she was sent into a small glide, allowing her to safely land on her feet.<br/> “<em>That</em> is straightening out,” she said with a grin, and Remus put his wand away, breathing a sigh of relief.<br/> “<em>That</em> just gave me a heart attack,” the professor muttered, and Beth just giggled, not at all guilty. Sirius found himself chuckling with her. Remus just glared at the pair.</p>
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